Ghanaian-born stylist Edward Enninful brings together 40 legendary women for his last British Vogue cover

Edward Enninful, the first Black and gay editor of British Vogue, has been in the position for six years, championing diversity in front of and behind the camera, and even produced a 2019 issue dedicated to women over 50.

The 51-year-old is leaving the editor-in-chief job but will stay on at publisher Condé Nast in an advisory role. His last British Vogue cover features 40 of the most influential women in music, movies, television, and more. They include supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Linda Evangelista. Others are Oprah Winfrey, Victoria Beckham, Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus.

According to the BBC, Enninful wanted the Legendary issue to be entirely “dedicated to women”, saying that no single person could “encapsulate the past few years for the magazine”.

The report said he selected women whom he believed had “reached beyond fashion and culture to change the fabric of society in the 2020s, in ways small and large and always positive”.

Enninful was born in Ghana, where he spent some of his childhood years. He later moved to London along with his parents and five siblings. At 16, his modeling career was launched after a fortuitous encounter with fashion scout Simon Foxton on a train ride.

Enninful’s career as a model was brief, and by age 17, he began working as an assistant to the fashion directors of the newly founded i-D magazine. He managed to combine this role with his studies at Goldsmith University, and two years later as a 19-year-old, he was promoted to the position of fashion director, making him the youngest director for an international fashion magazine.

At i-D magazine, Enninful became known for his edgy style, which he said was inspired by the streets. He also credits his mother, a skilled seamstress who made vividly patterned African clothing for her Ghanaian-British friends, as one of his earliest inspirations.

Enninful has gone on to collaborate with some of the most recognizable brands in fashion, including Giorgio Armani, Christian Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Mulberry, Valentino, Calvin Klein, Fendi, Gucci, Hugo Boss, and Missoni. He has also worked and styled some of the biggest names in style, including Rihanna, Bella Hadid, and Madonna. Enninful is also known to be good friends with models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.

A recipient of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Enninful received the honor in 2016 at Buckingham Palace for his services to diversity in the fashion industry.

His successor at British Vogue is British journalist Chioma Nnadi, who takes the title of head of editorial content, rather than editor-in-chief.